Lutsenko confirms Yuriev’s suicide: "We heard gunshot as we were breaking into house"

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yurii Lutsenko confirmed that Naftohaz Ukrainy's ex-Deputy Head Hennadii Yuriev committed suicide in the Vinnytsia region during the raid conducted as part of the investigation into Chornomornaftohaz.

"The fourth witness has long been on the wanted list and we also have unconfirmed information that he tried to fake his own death back in 2014. We have established his whereabouts in the Vinnytsia region. When we were getting access to the house, its owner, a witness in the case, Naftohaz Ukrainy's ex-Deputy Head Hennadii Yuriev shot himself dead.

"We heard a gunshot as we were breaking into the house. We called the police right away. As you can see, the incident took place in front of the witnesses to the search. Yuriev's body and hunting weapon were found during the search. All the necessary investigative actions and expert examinations are being carried out at the scene," Lutsenko said.

As reported, the Katsuba family is linked to the purchase of two overpriced jack-up rigs (so-called "Boiko platforms") for Chornomornaftogaz in 2011-2012. The brothers were declared crime suspects in September 2015, after which they fled Ukraine. The PGO put Serhii Katsuba and his brother Oleksandr on the international wanted list on Oct. 1, 2015. However, the PGO closed the criminal proceeding and, accordingly, stopped to search for Katsuba brothers on Jan. 5, 2016.

Dec. 21, 2106, military prosecutor's office and SBU were conducting detention of four Katsubas case defendants. Military prosecutors revealed possible residence of Yuriev. This morning the yard of the house where Yuriev could possibly hide was entered by the military prosecutors, SBU officers, representatives of the state security company that has been contracted to guard the house, and witnesses to the search. Upon entering, they heard a sound of a shot. Inside the house, they found a body of a man, presumably Hennadii Yuriev. A hunting rifle was found near him.

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